Child and adolescent homicide survivors. Complicated grief and altered worldviews

The act of homicide may influence the worldviews of children and adolescents. Problematic beliefs of uncertainty, inadequacy, perceiving the world as dangerous, self-denial, and lack of control can contribute to complicated grief in children and adolescents, and can potentially disrupt their normal psychosocial growth and development. Mental health professionals' understanding of grief after the homicide of a family member enhances their ability to intervene with and support young people struggling to cope with and adapt to a sudden loss.     

Physical,social, and personal factors in the perception of crowding

This study investigated the effects of density, posters, sex of subject, and group composition on anagram solving and also the perception of oneself and the physical and social environment. There were four major findings: (1) The addition of posters to a room in a high density nonsocial situation led to enhanced perceptions of crowding for males but not for females. These results were interpreted in terms of sensory overload. (2) Females rated themselves more positively in high density while males rated themselves more positively in low density. (3) Subjects rated the physical environment more negatively in high density than in low density. (4) There was no density effect on anagram solving.     

Sexual and physical child abuse and the developtnent of dissociative personality traits. Canadian and British evidence from adolescent child welfare and child care populations

An attempt was made to construct a measure of dissociative personality traits from file review of 61 Canadian adolescents with a known history of sexual abuse before the age of six. The study was then extended to 55 British adolescents in residential care and therapy centres. Between 18 and 29% of adolescents displayed several features of dissociative personality, implying the possibility of multiple personality disorder. Those with two or more indicators of dissociative personality style tended to have more problematic behavioural histories, including a particularly high prevalence of deliberate self-harm. In the UK group the Dissociative Experiences Scale (Bernstein and Putnam, 1986) completed by 55 adolescents correlated 0.67 with the dissociative personality trait index constructed from case file review. Implications for treatment of abused children are discussed.     

Twenty first century work issues: A look back

Employment Relations Today is pleased to present the keynote address, presented in Chicago at the 2099 Conference of the International Workplace Society, by Gloria Hershel-Chow, president of The Globe at Work. The Globe at Work is the world's foremost membership association for human resources executives. I t has 843 organizational members and 2,412 individual corporate representatives.     

Influences of Ethnic and Nonethnic Variables on the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy of College Students

This study examined differences in career decision-making self-efficacy, trait anxiety, and ethnic identity for 687 undergraduates (589 Whites, 98 racial and ethnic minorities). Significant differences by race and major (declared, undeclared) indicated that White students had higher career decision-making self-efficacy and lower trait anxiety, ethnic identity, and other-group orientation. Declared students had higher career decision-making self-efficacy and lower trait anxiety. Ethnic variables (ethnic identity, other-group orientation) were more significant predictors of career decision-making self-efficacy and trait anxiety for racial and ethnic minorities than for Whites. Implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.     

The Role of Psychological Instruments in the Assessment of Child Sexual Abuse

Psychological instruments such as behavioural rating scales or psychometric tests have a useful part to play in the evaluation of child sexual abuse, not as screening (i.e. ‘diagnostic’) devices but primarily as adjuncts to the assessment interview. However, the use of formal psychological instruments in their own right (i.e. on their own) for such purposes is, as yet, very limited and problematic. In their strictly adjunctive role they may provide additional evidence and/or indicate areas for further investigation, without directly questioning the child about the abuse and without being intrusive and leading. Finally, they may help us to assess and measure psychological processes that are influenced by, and thus secondary to, sexual abuse. This paper seeks to review the different types of psychological instruments and to comment on their clinical and their research usage.     

The Incidence of Household Characteristics on Labour Decisions: The Case of Spain

Abstract. This work presents an approach to the analysis of the incidence of family relationships on individuals' labour decisions as well as on their position in the labour market. We follow two different analyses. Firstly, we attempt to identify the type of households which are the most characteristic in our society to select the main categories of those where most people live, in order to study the decisions about participation in labour markets as well as the incidence of unemployment upon them. The second analysis tries to implement a model to allow us to study the implications of living in a partnership and the probability of both members of a couple having the same labour market status. There are at least two relevant results: the first shows the important concentration of unemployment in households of a couple with adult children and is clearly related to youth and female unemployment and the necessity of political intervention to correct them. The second points out the dependence between the labour status of the couple, mainly when they have a low level of education. Nevertheless, the woman is usually inactive, although this situation tends to change the younger she is, in which case the highest probability is that both members of the couple are employed.     

Discrimination against South African adolescents orphaned by AIDS

This article describes the discrimination against adolescents orphaned by AIDS. A qualitative phenomenological approach using reflective diaries was used to extract how this population is discriminated on. Fifteen adolescents ages 14 to 18 living in an urban area in South Africa participated in the study. Data were collected as part of a larger study in which a peer-based mental health intervention was designed for use with adolescents orphaned by AIDS. Colaizzi's seven stages were used to analyze the data from the reflective diaries. Analysis revealed that adolescents orphaned by AIDS experienced physical, social, and institutional expressions of stigma leading to discrimination. Adolescents were discriminated on by peers, caregivers, and teachers. The results of this study show that adolescents orphaned by AIDS face discrimination; further studies on the topic with a larger sample are needed to verify these findings.     

Evaluating insole design with joint motion, plantar pressure and rating of perceived exertion measures

This study compared a newly-designed insole with two commercially available insoles. The response measures included joint motion, plantar pressure and rating of perceived exertion. Thirty healthy female students were paid to participate in this study. The results showed that significant differences among the three insoles were found in plantar pressure and rating of perceived exertion. There were no significant differences among three different insoles in join motion measures. When wearing the newly-designed insole, the plantar pressure under heel area would transfer to midfoot area, and resulted in lower subjective discomfort ratings in midfoot and heel areas. The barefoot condition showed the worst performances in most of the response measures. The findings of this study provide very useful information for ergonomic insole design.     

Integral citizen observatory of Los Cabos: popular participation conscious and competent

ABSTRACT

According to the United Nations data more than half of humanity lives today in the cities, but it is expected that in 2050 it could be almost 80% of the global population. That means a transformative role of cities at all levels in the coming decades. Participation and democracy in the twenty-first century must be promoted and practiced from the cities. A popular participation based on the observation, and also in an active participation within the management of the government can promote good governance where citizens can be empowered to achieve a higher level of democracy in our cities but also in our society. Currently therés an international standard on quality management in local government; ISO 18091:2014, it contains 39 indicators on public policies that local governments cannot stop attending. I would like to present in this article the success case of the Integral Citizen Observatory of Los Cabos (OCI Los Cabos) based on this international standard, as a model of smart citizens aware and competent. It has been such a good job that the incoming Mayor has included it in the actual Municipal Development Plan for Los Cabos 2015–2018, the diagnostic report data and the proposals of the Integral Citizen Observatory.